


Reintroduction

by argylemikewheeler



Series: Tumblr Re-posts [6]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Side byeler, budding friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 20:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18213419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/argylemikewheeler/pseuds/argylemikewheeler
Summary: Prompt: Will and El getting along and being good friends after they /finally/ meet





	Reintroduction

“Mike, this is starting to freak me out. Where are we going?”

“Just follow me!”

“We’re in the middle of the woods!”

“And?”

“Would you maybe like to consider the reason I don’t  _want_ to be back here?”

“… we’re almost there, Will.”

Mike continued to tug Will through the trees, ducking under low-hanging branches and swinging him around cut tree stumps. Mike was nearly in a sprint while Will was struggling to remain standing as he was yanked forward. “Here we are!” Mike released Will’s hand quickly and the boy stumbled forward to a stop, the hood of his jacket flopping over his eyes. With an exaggerated sigh, he lifted it to see the Chief standing on the porch, stomping out a cigarette.

“Why are there police here?” Will asked, following Mike with less enthusiasm–or trust for that matter. Mike stepped up onto the porch with steady feet, lifting a hand to wave at Hopper. “ _Mike_?”

“She’s been excited all day.” Hopper told Mike, thumbing towards the door. “She cleaned her room twice. Glad you boys could stop by.”

“Who did?” Will asked, trying to insert himself in the conversation. “Why are we here?”

“El! We’re here!” Mike pushed the cabin door open and stepped inside. Will stood defiantly in the leaves, waiting for an explanation.

“Hello?”

“You better get in there.” Hopper said, lighting another cigarette. “She’s not very good with patience yet. Or at all.”

“Will!” Mike sighed, poking his head out of the door. “Come on.” He stepped out of the house and grabbed his hand. Their fingers laced together, ensuring Will couldn’t slip through his grasp– not that Will would let go at that point. Mike physically pulled Will after him back through the door and into the house. “Will, I want you to meet Eleven!”

The girl standing in the center of the small, cramped living room seemed to beam with pride. She had on a sundress with fringed lace hanging around her waist. Her hair was in tight curls falling over her forehead. Will swore the last time he saw her… saw that face… it didn’t have any hair at all. Maybe he was wrong. This face as grinning, crooked tooth poking out from her lip and a cheerful greeting coming from her lips.

“Mike!” She met Mike with an embrace, turning to Will to do the same.

“I–I think we’ve met before.” Will said, holding his hand out to her.

“You have!” Mike assured him, guiding Will to come closer to the both of them. “The Upside Down, remember? She was the one who came to find you…” Mike looked at Eleven with furrowed eyebrows. She nodded quickly, her expression serious and lips tight. “I’m still not sure how the science works, but… I’ll believe her.”

“Will.” She tried to hug him again. Will allowed her to wrap her arms around him if only to see the all-too-pleased smile on Mike’s face.

“El, right?” The name had been sprinkled along in nearly every story Will was told about the past year. “That’s who you are.”

“And you’re Will.” She repeated. “Mike talks all the time.” She nodded with a giggle, sitting down on the couch. She tucked the ends of her dress under her legs and flattened the lace fringe before folding her hands on her lap.

“Uh, yeah. He is kind of a loud-mouth, huh?” Will agreed, slowly sitting across from her.

“She means about  _you_.” Mike corrected, rolling his eyes. “She means I talk a lot about you.”

“Well, she had me fooled.” Will muttered. Eleven laughed, grinning widely as she looked between the two of them.

“You’re funny.” She turned to Mike, her expression changing. “You never told me that.”

“Funny?” Will echoed. He had been labeled many things. Many other words that began with the letter ‘f’, but none of them were ‘ _funny_ ’.

“Funny.” Eleven repeated. Her expression fell, eyes darting to Mike, desperate for guidance in the conversation. “ _Funny_.”

“You used it right, El. He just doesn’t  _think_ he’s funny.” Mike encouraged Eleven with a nod, motioning her eyes back over to Will. “Go on! Introduce yourselves!”

“Uh, it seems like she knows everything about me.” Will muttered, leaning over to Mike. “Maybe she should talk?” Truthfully, he was at a loss for words. Her face had been in the back of his mind as a phantom memory, something he was sure couldn’t have been real, but gave him comfort in the moments he was sure it was the last face he was ever going to see.

“Do you like breakfast?” She asked, her eyes lighting up. Mike nodded automatically, humoring her good spirits.

“Uh, yeah.” Will answered. He was mostly just agreeing to the change in conversation.

“I cooked.”

“She cooked?” Will asked Mike. He remembered what Hopper had said about patience and the creation of compromise made with the cleaning of a room– how could she use a stove? Will still didn’t like to be near it without his mother’s supervision.

“It means she used a toaster.” Mike whispered, watching Eleven stand and walk into the kitchen behind their seats.

“Oh.” Will nodded, trying not to crane his neck to watch Eleven. She walked back with a chipped ceramic floral dish with toasted, frozen waffles. She held the plate out to them with a smile. She wasn’t a bad house guest once she wasn’t in the Upside Down talking to Will through some weird dimension he wasn’t even sure he truly imagined properly.

“Thanks, El.” Mike took a bite of his waffle and leaned back in his seat, still watching the two of his friends struggle to find words at their re-introduction.

“It’s nice to see you good– well. See you well, Will.” Eleven noted, sitting back down.

“You look nice with hair.” Will said, his words feeling stiff. “I mean, last time I saw you–”

“Thank you.” She ran her hand over the mop of hair on her head. “I’m gonna learn how to braid it.”

“Oh!” Mike cried. “I can have Nancy teach me. I can show you next time I’m over.”

“I know how.” Will offered, lifting his hand sheepishly. “I’ve watched my mom do it so many times for work I just picked it up… I can show you.”

“Really?” Eleven hopped up to her feet and jumped over to the seat beside Will. He had to admit, her smile was strangely contagious– but didn’t she have telekinesis or something?

“Yeah. It’s super easy.” Will assured her. “Uh, your hair isn’t long enough for it…  Uh, here. Let me try your dress.” Will pointed to the lace fringe hanging over Eleven’s skirt. “Can I?” His hands hovered over her leg, waiting to be told.

“Yes. Yes. Show me.”

Will held three strips of lace in his hand and slowly overlapped the side and middle pieces, Eleven twisting her head to try and see the demonstration right-side up. Will braided all the way down to the end of the lace before placing it flat against her leg. Before he could even offer to show her again, she was shoving more pieces into his hand. Mike rested his chin on Will’s shoulder, eager to learn as well as Will repeated the movement.

“See, it’s easy.” Will grinned, placing down his third braid. Eleven yanked roughly on her three strands of lace, the knot tight– and if it was hair, probably torn out– but she looked proud. She looked up at Will, the same curiosity once directed at Mike now answering to Will. “You’re doing great.” She smiled and kept working. Will turned his head to look at Mike, still trying to solve the pattern. “Thank you.” He whispered.

“What?” Mike asked, turning to look at him, pulling away if only to get Will’s full face back into view.

“Thanks for introducing me.”

“Re-introducing.” Mike corrected. “And besides, I can’t have my two best friends not know each other.”

“Best friend?” Eleven repeated, looking up from her far-looser second attempt at a lace braid.

“Yeah.” Will nodded. “All three of us.”

**Author's Note:**

> [The Rebloggable Post!](https://argylemikewheeler.tumblr.com/post/167557598955/hey-with-the-scenes-el-and-will-have-had-together)


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